'Playoff Mindset' Fueling Seahawks Ahead of Week 12 vs. Cardinals

Even a facility-wide power outage isn’t stopping the Seattle Seahawks from riding the high of defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11 for the first time in three years. It was potentially a season-saving win for the team.

But the most important stretch of the Seahawks’ season is just beginning. Had Seattle lost to the Niners, any hopes of a playoff berth would be significantly threatened. Now, the Seahawks can take hold of first place in the NFC West with two games against the Arizona Cardinals over the next three weeks.

The first of those two bouts is on Sunday in Week 12, and it’s at home for Seattle — a venue the team has struggled at this season, compiling a 2-4 record at Lumen Field that includes four straight defeats.

“You start ranking things about what we’re trying to achieve here, and that’s at or near the top of the list,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday of creating a difficult home environment for their opponents. “So, I know we’re on a slide here at home, and we’re trying to do a couple of things to make it come to life. We’re treating this like a home playoff game for us. We need the 12s rocking, and you’re right, that’s the vision. That’s what we’re trying to create. Let’s get it started this Sunday.”

Arizona (6-4, 2-0 NFC West) is currently in sole possession of first place in the division and on a four-game win streak. The Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Seahawks are all 5-5 overall. All three teams are separated by only their division records, which currently have the Rams in second (2-1), Seahawks in third (1-2), and Niners in last (1-3).

Los Angeles and San Francisco don’t play another NFC West opponent until Week 15 when they play each other. Thus, even if the Rams and Niners won all three of their games over the next three weeks, the Seahawks would take sole possession of first place in the division with two wins over the Cardinals — regardless of what happens in Week 13 when Arizona and Seattle have a one week break from one another.

Seattle would still have to maintain a better overall record for the rest of the season to win the division, and the title may be decided between the Rams and Seahawks in Week 18. But the path to an automatic playoff berth begins against Arizona.

“Put it this way: Look, we’ve earned the opportunity to be fighting for the lead in the division going into the home stretch,” Macdonald added. “So, that’s the way we’re treating it. It’s very much like a playoff mindset for us at this point. [We] can’t afford to drop games. You want to have the right to play for these really important games in December and January. You’ve got to be able to execute and put yourself in that situation. It’s basically a December football game."

Playing one opponent twice in three weeks is always a strange phenomenon in the NFL. In a sport that has 17 games per season and is played once a week, some teams go years without facing each other. Division rivals, however, are guaranteed to see each other twice in the regular season and could meet again in the postseason (i.e. Seahawks and Niners in 2022).

“Yeah, we’re going to do nothing the same,” Macdonald joked. “Tell [Cardinals head coach] Jonathan [Gannon] that we’re going to change everything the second game.”

 

Jan 7, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) makes a touchdown catch against Arizona Cardinals cornerback Starling Thomas V (24) during the second half at State Farm Stadium. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

 

The Seahawks played the Niners twice in three weeks last season and lost both. That was the first time in four seasons Seattle was dealt that type of schedule sequence (versus San Francisco in Weeks 13 and 15 of the 2018 season). Now it has happened twice in as many seasons.

Still, Macdonald said they are staying focused on one game at a time. The Seahawks do have a date with the New York Jets (3-8) sandwiched between the two matchups.

“I’m guilty as charged about overthinking stuff, but we’re not worried about three weeks from now. At least I’m not,” he said. “It’s all [about] what it’s going to take to win this football game. Let’s see what happens, and then we’ll go play the Jets and then we’ll go play the Cardinals again. But we’re not thinking about three weeks from now, honestly.”

The Seahawks have won five in a row against the Cardinals dating back to Jan. 9, 2022, but this isn't the same Arizona team that won eight combined games in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon has the Cardinals rolling with the return of quarterback Kyler Murray and an improved defense.

Seattle hosts Arizona at 1:25 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24 at Lumen Field. The NFC West logjam could get even more congested after Week 12, depending on the result.